Encounters in the Forest of Dean
by watermelon-shotput
Summary: When traveling in the Forest of Dean, you would expect to see ancient trees and various wildlife. Or you might find something...else


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or the Secret of Kells and make no profit from this.

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Encounters in the Forest of Dean

I have lived through the ages, traversing the seas and wandering over moors. My home is gone, lost to the encroachment of men. I have searched long for a place to call my own again, to climb the trees and rest by the brook once more.

Many years into my travels, I came across a secluded old forest, which seemed reminiscent of my prior home. I scampered between the trees, relishing the feel of the layered leaves under my paws. Yes, this might just be the place for me.

It was not until several weeks later that I encountered men once more. I had been wandering along a quaint little creek, when I heard an odd, muffled sound. I stopped in my tracks, listening. It came again, deeper in the woods. I stepped forward into the trees, searching for its source. Rather quickly, I came upon it.

A young girl with wavy brown hair was huddled in the hollow created by the roots of a crooked old oak tree. She was hardly even half grown, and was sobbing quietly sobbing into her folded arms.

I cocked my head to the side, watching her silently. Why on earth was she out here all alone? Perhaps she had wandered off from her parents, or she had run away from home. Or perhaps, I thought with a grin, she was hopelessly lost in search of berries for ink. Whatever the case, she had the common sense to stay put until someone, or something in my case found her.

Any yet … there seemed to be something odd about her. I took a step closer to satisfy my curiosity, but only succeeded in alerting her to my presence. She sat up sharply, her tear streaked face frozen over with shock, which turned to fear as she took in the sight of the wolf-me.

Her mouth tried to form words, but nothing came out. She sat there, still as a mouse with her eyes fixed on me as I came slowly closer. When I was almost nose to nose with the girl, I halted and tried to giggle as she went nearly cross eyed watching me. I leaned forward and gently touched the tip of my nose to hers, closing my eyes momentarily.

There it was. An almost imperceptible hum surrounded this little human that brought back memories of light and color. It was a feeling of power that could change and create, break or bend. I pulled away, backing up a few steps to regard this girl. She gaped at me, wide eyed with a mixture of awe and terror.

"Hermione! Hermione, deary, where are you?" The girl suddenly found her voice and replied with a shrill "HERE!" Crashing footsteps came toward us, and as I slipped away into the shadows, a pair of adults came rushing into the clearing. I watched as they spotted the forward, wrapping her in their arms. Berating her for a few moments, they still held her close all the while. Her only reaction was to cling to them as sobs wracked her body.

Eventually, the trio headed back the way they had come. I did not follow. I knew I would be able to find them if there was a need, but I had come to cherish my solitude in this forest.

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It was nearly a decade later when I saw the brown haired girl again. I was shuffling through the remains of the snowfall, searching for something to make a meal of, when a sudden crack broke the still air. Whipping my head around, I swiftly crept forward, wary of any danger.

To my surprise, I found two people. Concealed in a snowdrift, I watched as they began pulling items from a bag that should have been far too small to carry all the things it held. As one of them straightened up, I felt a wave of recognition sweep over me. It was the brown haired girl, but she had grown into a young woman.

Curious, I glanced over to her companion. A young man, with funny little circles of glass perched on his nose, partially hiding his green eyes; I put his age at close to that of his friend. How interesting I thought to myself.

They set up a tent and then began to do something very odd. Pulling a long stick from one of her pockets, Brown-Haired began to whisper words that leapt forth from the stick and began to form a barrier of light. My eyes widened, for it was very difficult to see, but glinting in the sunlight here and there it was present, covering the small camp.

So she found her power and learned to use it, I mused. Her companion was doing the same as her, murmuring words that made the air shimmer for a moment and then fade away. This was very interesting and I decided to stay and watch. I found myself a copse of trees near the camp and settled down for a long wait.

That night, after darkness had claimed the sky, a new sound reached my ears. Soft footsteps came closer, going towards the campsite, but no one had come this way in the night. I decided to investigate.

Following the footsteps, I discovered a tall man with a hawk like nose, dressed all in black. He too carried a polished stick, and a frightening conclusion came into my mind. He was hunting the two young ones.

Silently I circled around to his front. I would not permit him to harm them; they were under my protection, in _my forest!_ I realized almost too late that he was whispering something, like Brown-Haired had done earlier at the camp. So, I immediately sprang into action.

A deep growl building in the back of my throat, I revealed myself to the man. He jumped at the sudden noise, and then pointed the stick towards me. I bared my fangs at him, like I would allow that to stop me! Suddenly, a bright light encompassed the space between us, temporarily blinding. When it cleared, I was greeted with a wondrous sight.

A doe, made entirely of silvery light, stood before me, blocking my path to the man. It seemed oddly familiar, like the form Pangur Ban had once taken. I moved first to the right, then to the left as the doe shifted to intercept me. Furious, I leapt towards it, only to pass through entirely.

On the other side, I barely managed to catch myself, as I realized what had just happened. I twisted around to face the doe, now incurably curious. As I had gone through, there had been a fleeting feeling, like a shadow of a memory.

The doe approached me, silent and beautiful. Dipping its head, it gently touched its nose to mine. A warm feeling swept through me, accompanied by the happy laughter of a child; filling and giving me an absolute sense of love.

Tugging my head back, I sneezed. I blinked a few times before glancing over at the Dark Man, who was standing rooted to the ground, his black eyes focused on me. I let out a soft huff of steamy breath and sat to regard him, letting my shoulders slide back and eyes narrow.

The man looked uncertain at this, not surprising considering how a moment ago I had been ready to tear out his throat. However, the memory that had flooded my senses had given me a new perspective. I knew now that this man would do his utmost to protect the children in his care, better than I ever could.

I stood up again and turned to leave. I heard the man shifting his feet behind me and turned to consider him a last time. Then, I did something I had not done for years.

Shifting back to Aisling, I grinned at the stunned man and said, "Welcome to _my _forest and I wish you well." Then, before he could say a word, I was back to four paws and bounding away on the snowy ground.

I did not return to Brown-Haired's camp. There was no longer a need, for they had a protector in their midst whether they knew it or not.

Perhaps one day I would see them again and strike up the courage to speak with Brown-Haired. I could ask about the funny sticks or the Dark Man.

One day, perhaps.

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